Hydroponic produce: It's alive!
Updated 11:12 pm, Friday, March 2, 2012
The label on the plastic box in the produce aisle certainly got my attention:
“Absolutely Fresh Because It's Still Alive!”
Alas, there was no Frankenstein's monster nestled among the baby spinach and spring mix, but the claim to fame for Live Gourmet's Butter Lettuce was pretty intriguing anyway.
The California company grows leafy greens and herbs hydroponically and, post-harvest, delivers the lush living plant complete with root ball to stores.
Bluebonnet Hydroponic Produce, a local company, does the same thing with its living basil, sold at H-E-B, Whole Foods and Central Market and distributed to restaurants around Texas. Bella Verdi Farms in Dripping Springs also supplies living greens to some stores.
Buy the plant and pick the leaves fresh as needed. It's like picking them from your own garden without, you know, having to tend a garden.
The interest in hydroponic produce — cultivated without soil but using nutrient-enriched water, typically in greenhouses — appears to be growing (ha!).
Living veggies mean a longer shelf life, and the greenhouse environment means the product offers reliable appearance and flavor, says Vincent Choate, director of marketing for Live Gourmet.
How do hydroponic fruits and vegetables stack up nutrition-wise to those that are conventionally grown? The answer is unclear.
Some believe nothing compares to growing plants in the ground. But David Anderson, co-owner of Bluebonnet Hydroponic Produce and Colorburst Hydroponic Heirlooms, says the hydroponic process has advantages.
“We create an environment where all (the plant) needs to do is eat and live and grow,” Anderson says. “It doesn't have to worry about, does it get enough water in the field, or how many times has that farmer grown that crop in that field, and has he leeched out all the nutrients?”
Louis Albright, director of Cornell University's Controlled Environment Agriculture program, says there's little solid data on which has more nutritional value, hydroponic produce or conventional produce. The conclusion of that data: It depends.
The thing is, the nature of field-grown crops vary, while hydroponic crops can be more consistent day to day because their nutrient solution formation is consistent. Potassium content may be greater in an outdoor crop grown in one field compared to hydroponic crops, for example, but lower than the hydroponic crop when grown in another field.
“There are some differences — crops grown outdoors can have higher antioxidants due to exposure to UV light, but the nutrient solution of hydroponic crops can be manipulated to reduce nitrate content (which cannot be done outdoors) as a counter example,” Albright wrote in an email. “The texture of crops grown outdoors can differ due to water and other stresses, which can be a positive or a negative, depending.”
A caveat: Hydroponic isn't synonymous with organic.
Hydroponic produce often is grown without the use of pesticides. Some farms, such as Bluebonnet Hydroponic, don't use chemical fertilizers; others do.
And don't assume hydroponic produce isn't susceptible to harmful pathogens, says Joe Masabni, extension vegetable specialist with Texas A&M. Always wash before eating.
All I know is this: I bought a head of living butter lettuce, and it was delicious.